Helpful transportation information for first time visitors.

FROM THE AIRPORT
Rental car counters are located in the baggage claim area. Some provide pick-up and drop-off from the first floor of the garage. Other rental car companies provide courtesy van service to the airport.

Dial 55 from any travelers information board at the base of the baggage claim escalators for ground transportation information. A ground transportation information booth is located on the third floor of the parking garage.

Link Light Rail Newly opened on December 19, 2009, visitors to Seattle can now take the new Link Light Rail system directly from the airport terminal to Westlake Center in downtown Seattle with 11 stops along the way. Go metronatural and click here to learn more about this clean and green transportation option!

Shuttle Express passengers are picked up and dropped off on the third floor of the airport garage on the inner drive.

Airporter Shuttle and Downtown Airporter by Gray Line pick up and drop off passengers in the parking lot outside of door 00 at the south end of the baggage claim level.

Shuttles for Helijet, Kenmore Air, and other local air services pick up passengers at island two on the third floor of the parking garage.
Taxis and limousines are available on the third floor of the parking garage. Passengers for courtesy vans are picked up there as well.
Metro and Sound Transit buses are available outside door six by baggage carousel five, on the baggage claim level.

The parking garage, connected to the main terminal via sky bridges on the fourth floor, offers valet, hourly, long-term and reduced weekly rates.

A free cell-phone parking lot is located near the terminal (watch for direction signs). Drivers must wait in their cars for passengers to call for pick-up. Parking or waiting on the airport drive is not permitted and could result in a fine.

FREEWAYS
Seattle's two major north-south freeways run on either side of Lake Washington. Interstate 5, on the west side of the lake, runs through the center of Seattle. Interstate 405 lies east of the lake and goes through Bothell, Bellevue and Renton. The two major east-west freeways are Interstate 90 and State Route 520. I-90 begins just south of Safeco Field in Seattle and goes east, connecting I-5 to I-405. SR-520 begins a little north of downtown Seattle at I-5 and goes east, across the lake, to Redmond.

State Route 99, a major north-south arterial, parallels I-5 between Everett and Fife. Traveling north toward Seattle, SR-99 runs along the downtown waterfront on the Alaskan Way Viaduct (an elevated road structure) and passes through the Battery Street Tunnel. North of the tunnel, SR-99 becomes Aurora Avenue N, a divided road with no traffic signals or breaks in the Jersey barrier in this section. SR-99 crosses the Ship Canal via the Aurora Avenue Bridge and continues north.

Allow extra driving time during morning and evening commute hours. For highway maps and information on current traffic conditions and road construction, visit wsdot.wa.gov/choices.

EXPRESS LANES
Reversible express lanes with limited on/off access on I-5 and I-90 are used during peak commute hours to relieve traffic. Normally, they move traffic toward downtown Seattle during the morning commute and away from Seattle during the afternoon commute.

FLOATING BRIDGES
I-90 and SR-520 both using floating bridges to cross Lake Washington. The I-520 bridge (the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge) built in 1963, is the longest floating pontoon bridge in the world.

DRAW BRIDGES
Seattle has a number of drawbridges that open to allow boats to pass underneath, including the Fremont, Ballard, University, Montlake and First Avenue bridges. The Fremont Bridge opens for marine traffic in the Ship Canal about 35 times a day, making it one of the busiest draw bridges in the world. The Spokane Street bridge also opens, swinging out to allow marine traffic to pass.

STATE FERRIES
Washington state has the largest ferry fleet in the nation. From Colman Dock at Pier 52, travelers and their vehicles can take a ferry to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island. A passenger-only ferry goes from Colman Dock to Vashon Island.

The Fauntleroy ferry in West Seattle takes passengers and cars to Vashon Island and to Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Check the ferry web site for wait times, fares, schedules and other information.

BUSES
Metro operates Seattle's bus system and provides online tools to help riders. No fares are required in the downtown Ride Free Area 6am-7pm weekdays. The Ride Free Area is bordered on the north by Battery Street, on the south by S Jackson Street, on the east by Sixth Ave. and on the west by the Seattle Waterfront. The bus tunnel is open on weekdays from 5am-7pm and is part of the Ride Free Area. If the bus leaves the Ride Free Area, the fare is due when exiting the bus. The stops along the route in the bus tunnel are Convention Place Station, Westlake Station, University Street Station, Pioneer Square Station and International District/Chinatown Station.

The Greyhound bus station is at 811 Stewart St. Tickets are available online, by phone, at the station or at King Street (Amtrak) Station.

TAXIS
Taxis are readily available at Sea-Tac Airport (on the third floor of the parking garage), at the Colman Dock ferry terminal and at the cruise ship terminals. Elsewhere, call for a taxi or ask your concierge.

TRAINS
Three Amtrak trains arrive and depart at historic King Street Station (303 S Jackson St.), providing service to Vancouver, B.C., Tacoma, Portland, Spokane and other destinations. King Street Station is located between the International District and Pioneer Square, just north of Qwest Field. Tickets may be purchased online or at the station. Greyhound tickets are also sold at the station.

Seattle's new Link Light Rail takes passengers from Westlake Center south to SeaTac Airport with 11 stops between. With 5 downtown stops and 6 south Seattle stops, Link's set to be a new standard in Seattle transportation. Link tickets can be purchased at all stations. Go metronatural and click here to learn more about this clean and green transportation option!

The Sounder is a commuter train running from Seattle to Everett and from Seattle to Tacoma. The trains are boarded at King Street Station.

The Monorail runs from Seattle Center to Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle.

CRUISES
The large cruise ships dock at Terminal 30 and Pier 66. The Port of Seattle provides detailed information on transportation and parking related to cruise ships.